"Like a Broken Vessel"

This is a talk that was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland during the October 2013 General Conference. It was given while I was in the mission field, and I was very touched by it. Here are a few of my favorite parts, as well as a short video clip of Elder Holland's suggestions of what to do when faced with mental illness in order to cope.

• "However bewildering this all may be, these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor."
• Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and even Elder George Albert Smith, who would later become the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, among others struggled with depression.
• "If you are the one afflicted or a caregiver to such, try not to be overwhelmed with the size of your task. Don’t assume you can fix everything, but fix what you can. If those are only small victories, be grateful for them and be patient. Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands someone to “stand still” or “be still”—and wait. Patiently enduring some things is part of our mortal education."
• "Also let us remember that through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for. We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!"
• "Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."
• Some day we will be resurrected and freed!